I'm trying to keep a log of all the things we cook which taste really lovely. You know what it's like: you tweak and tweak a recipe until it's barely recognisable and then wonder how you used to make it. And it will also save a lot of time and bits of paper when it comes to sharing those recipes with friends.

Search

Main menu

Post navigation

Duck and Broccoli Stir-fry

We bought our first house because there was a chopping board in the kitchen piled high with sliced vegetables, and because the owners were playing ‘The Beatles’ on vinyl. They suckered us into believing that if we lived there, we would never again leave a turnip or a green pepper to pucker and shrivel in our fridge. And to some extent, it proved to be true. I actually used to make my own spring rolls in that house. When we moved into the current house, however, we found a bag of weevil-infested flour in the cupboard, but the less said about that the better.

Anyway, try to rally from that piece of information in order to enjoy this vitamin-filled recipe! The sauce is quite runny.

Serves 2 – 3

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

2 inches ginger, peeled and sliced

1 chilli, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 head broccoli, including stalk (slice the stalk and halve each little floret)

150 -200g sliced duck fillet

Soy sauce (Kikkoman, preferably)

Dry sherry

Sesame oil

1 teaspoon cornflour

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Rice, if that’s what you’re having with it

Marinate the duck fillets in the cornflour, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a tablespoon of sesame oil. Don’t do this is advance; it’s fine to do it just as you’re starting to cook.

Now put your rice on. Dinner only takes about 10 minutes to cook from this point if everything is prepared.

Fry nearly all of your spring onions with the garlic and ginger in some hot, hot, oil for about 30 seconds. Add the duck fillets and fry until they start to colour. The bottom of the pan will soon start to look sinister and burnt because of the cornflour marinade sticking. Deglaze with about 3 tablespoons of dry sherry, stir, and then add about 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and a further splash or two of water. Add the broccoli and the sugar and pop a lid on. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes, depending on how you like your broccoli.